UNESCO: Three Out of Four Jobs in the World are Water Dependent

UNESCO: Three Out of Four Jobs in the World are Water Dependent
Fecha de publicación: 
22 March 2016
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42 percent or 1.4 billion jobs in sectors such as fisheries, agriculture and mining are heavily water dependent, while 36 percent or 1.2 billion jobs in areas such as construction, recreation and transportation are considered "moderately water-dependent."

The authors of the study, prepared by 31 UN agencies under UNESCO, warn that the lack of a reliable supply of water could lead to a loss of many jobs.

The reason is that unavailability of water will affect agricultural production, limit power generation and cause increased migration, among others.

Having access to clean drinking water also contributes to the health and productivity of workers, leading to direct impacts on economic growth, according to UNESCO, which calls for the involvement of the public and private sectors in protecting this resource.

There are some 663 million people across the world without access to clean water sources, which are those kept separate from use by animals and fecal contamination.

In its report, published on World Water Day and which is part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the organization notes that poor water quality, poor sanitation and poor hygiene are the main causes of contagious diseases that lead to 17 percent of workplace deaths.

Apart from being cleaner and requiring less amounts of water for production, renewable energies such as solar or hydro create more jobs than conventional ones such as coal and oil, says researcher Richard Connor, author of the study.

Connor underlines that investments in the water sector are recouped quickly. As an example, he mentioned a study conducted by the World Bank in 2009 which showed that every 1 billion US dollar invested in water supply and sanitation generates 100,000 jobs in Colombia, Honduras and Brazil.

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